Had a buddy from Texas change my mind about trimming brisket fat

Ran into my neighbor Dave last weekend while I was trimming a packer for a Sunday cook, and he told me I was leaving way too much fat on the point. He showed me his method where he takes it down to almost nothing on the flat side and leaves just a thin cap on the point, and I tried it this weekend. My bark came out way better and the meat wasn't greasy at all - has anyone else gotten grief from a pitmaster friend about their trimming style and actually switched?

2 comments

2 Comments

torres.leo7d ago

Quick correction on that term since it comes up a lot in brisket circles. The deckle is actually the fat cap on the point, not the hard fat seam between the point and flat. That seam fat you trim out is called the "deckle fat" or just the fat plug, but people mix them up all the time. I had a buddy set me straight on it after I used the wrong name at a cookout. Either way, getting that big chunk of hard fat out does help the flat cook way more even.

the_daniel7d ago

Wait till you trim off the deckle too. Changes everything about how the flat cooks.